In indirect aqueous printing, an aqueous ink is transported from an ink discharge port onto various intermediate media (e.g., transfer belts, intermediate blankets or drums) that may be used to transfer the formed image to the final substrate such as textiles, rubber and the like. For example, in intermediate transfix processes, aqueous latex ink is ink-jetted onto an intermediate blanket where the ink film is dried with heat. To avoid disturbing the semi-wet ink, non-contact heating is employed to dry the ink. The dried image is subsequently transfixed on to the final paper substrate. For this process to properly operate, the intermediate blanket has to satisfy two conflicting requirements—the first requirement is that ink has to spread well on the blanket and the second requirement is that, after drying, the ink should release from the blanket. Accordingly, intermediate blankets may utilize specially engineered topcoat materials. However, materials that exhibit high thermal stability and moderate wettability (e.g., not as difficult to wet as silicone or fluorinated materials), yet still exhibit non-stick or anti-contaminant properties, are virtually non-existent.
Thus, to address the above problems faced in transfix processes, there is a need for a material that may be employed as a blanket topcoat and provides transfix blankets with desired wettability and adequate spreading of aqueous inks, while providing thermal stability and anti-contaminant properties.